Bottle-washer



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M. R. IRRGANG'. BOTTLE WASHER (No Model.)

Patented Sept. '29, 1896.

WITNESSESZ No. 568,685. Q

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BOTTLE WASHER.

No. 568,685. Patented Sept. 29, 1396.

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MAX R. 'IRRGANG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE-WAS H ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,685, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed March 21, 1896.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX R. IRRGANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bottle-washin g machines, and particularly to that class in which the bottles are conveyed by an endless belt during the process of washing and brushing.

Its objects are, first, to provide means for rapidly cleaning a large number of bottles; second, to provide means for changing the washing fluid in the bottles during their course through the machine, and, third, to.

provide means for discharging the fluid from' the bottles at the end of such course. I accomplish these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention, showing a series of bottles in position to be cleaned. The greater portion of the sides of the tank is broken away. Portions of the detail similar to adjoining parts are also broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same. Fig 3 is a transverse partly sectional view of a portion of the bottle-forwarding belt, the walls of the tank, with the bottle-supporting sills, the raised portions 5 on the sills in section, and showing also the relative position of the bottle when resting on the main sills and when tipped by the raised portions 5. The sect-ion through the raised portions 5 and the adjoining portion of the frame is taken on a verti cal plane extending through the highest points in the raised portions 5. The section through the belt 1 and the lower bottle on the left side is taken at a point forward of the raised portions 5. Fig. 4 is a top plan of a portion of the belt with a bottle attached on one side and the spindle-brush free on the other side. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 1 taken at m 00, the front bottles in the lower series being omitted.

The belt 1 has the blocks 17 secured thereto by the bolts 25. The blocks are slitted, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The arms 18 are rigidly bolted to the side of the blocks, the

bolt 26 serving as a means of attachment for Serial No. 584,327. (No model.)

the spindle-brushes 27, which are hooked upon the bolt in the slit. A bottle attached to the spindle-brush is thus free to swing in a vertical plane, but when in a substantially horizontal position the arms limit the side movement of the bottles. The belt 1 is supported by the pulleys 7 and S and driven by the pulley 7. Both pulleys are journaled in the tank 15.

The side walls of the tank near the top are provided with inner sills 23 for supporting the bottle 19 in a substantially horizontal position. The bottom of the tank serves the same purpose when the bottles are on the lower course. The sills 23 curve downwardly at eachend of the tank sufficiently to prevent the bottles from dropping out of their proper positions when on the incline at the pulleys 7 and 8.

The sills are provided with raised portions 5, which serve to tip the bottles for discharging the washing fluid. The bottom of the tank is also provided with raised portions 4, which serve the double purpose of tipping the bottles and dividing the tank, so that washing fluids of different kinds or water of different temperature may be separated in the tank. The raised portion 4 for this purpose differs from 5 in that it extends across the tank. It is made lower in the middle of the tank than at the sides, as shown by the dotted line. This provides a smooth surface, over which the blocks may be carried, and also serves to tip the bottles.

The belt 1, being driven by the pulley 7 in the direction indicated by the arrow, is comparatively slack on the lower course, so that same will readily pass over 4.

The washing fluid in the tank is kept at a level slightly below the highest portion of 4 at the middle of the tank. This causes the bottles to fill with the washing fluid on either side of 4.

The side walls of the tank are made somewhat higher than the sill, as is illustrated in Fig. 3, so as to prevent the bottles from working off the spindles. At the place where the bottles are fed to the machine and removed therefrom the walls are only slightly. higher than the sill, as shown by the upper portion 24 of the rear wall in Fig. 1.

The brushing-belts 2 are supported onthe pulleys 9 and 10, which are journaled above the tank in such position as to bring the brushin g-surface in contact with the bottles passing under same.

The belts 3 are designed to rotate the bottles rapidly while passing under the brushin g-belts 2, and are supported on the pulleys 11 and 12, which are journaled in the tank.

The sills 23 extend only to the belt 3 011 each side, as shown in Fig. 2, the belt 3 supporting the bottles along its upper surface.

Each end of the tank is provided with curved supports 16 for holding the bottles in the proper position.

The belts (5 are supported on the pulleys 13 and ll, and are provided with a brushingsurface, preferably of stiffer material than that of the belts 2.

It will be seen that the belts 2, 3, and (i are in pairs, having one member 011 each side of the vertical plane of the belt 1, as is shown in Fig. 2.

The drive-pulleys 20, 21, and 22 are secured to the shafts of the pulleys 7, 9, and 12, respectively. Another drive-pulley is attached to the shaft of the pulleys 14:.

The operation of the device is as follows: The belt 1 is driven slower than the other belts. The bottles are pushed upon the spindle-brushes, preferably near the pulley 7, then pass through the tank with the belt 1.

The belt 3 is driven at a much greater speed than 1, and the brushing-belts 2 and (3 are driven at a still greater speed. The bottles fill with water or washing fluid as soon as they reach the bottom of the tank after leaving the pulley 7, and are drawn along the bottom of the tank either rolling slowly or sliding until they come in contact with the brush-belt 6. This causes them to revolve, but owing to their friction with the bottom of the tank they are retarded somewhat in their revolution, so that the brush-belt 6 scrapes along the bottles. This belt is designed to remove the labels. The bottles then pass to the raised portion l, are tipped so that the washing fluid is discharged, and again fill with the fluid on the side of the raised portion 4 toward the pulley 8. They then pass along their course, as shown in Fig. 1, to the top of the tank. lVhen they come in contact with the belt 3, they are caused to rotate rapidly by friction with 3. The brushbelts 2, going at greater speed, scrape along the bottles and thus again brush the outer surface. The bottles are then carried upon the raised portion 5, the water is discharged, and the bottles may be removed and others substituted. The spindle-brushes operate to brush the inside of the bottles when the bottles are rotated in their course through the machine.

It will be seen that the brushing-belts may be operated in the opposite direction to that shown by the arrows, but I have accomplished better results by driving same in the direction of the course of the bottles and at greater speed.

It is also apparent that the brushing-belts 2 and (i and the friction-belt 3 may be stopped, and the same will still in a measure perform their respective oifices when the bottles are carried along same by belt 1.

The principal feature of the brushing-belts is the brushing-surface, with which the b0ttles are brought in contact, and it is plain that it is not necessary that such brushingsurface be in the form of a continuous belt, but that same may be made in any other suitable form providing a brushing-section for the bottles to be rotated against.

It is more essential that the friction-surface be in the form of a belt, but I do not confine myself to such form, since any friction-surface against which the bottles are carried by the belt 1, and against which they are pressed in their passage, either by gravity or other means, will operate to revolve or rotate the same.

The washing fluid may be supplied to'the tank and drawn off from same in any suitable manner.

I do not confine myself to the minor details of construction shown in the drawings, but

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; a bottle-forwarding belt; a brushing-surface; means for rotating a series of bottles carried by said forwarding-belt against the brushing-surface, and means for supporting and operating said belt; said forwarding-belt, brushin surface, and means for rotating the bottles, being independent of each other.

2. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; a bottle-forwarding belt; a brushing-surface; a friction-surface adapted to rotate a series of bottles carried by said belt against the brushing-surface; and means for supporting and operatin g said belt; said forwardin g-belt, brushingsurfaee, and friction-surface being independent of each other.

In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; abottle-forwarding belt; means for scouring the bottles,while same are being conveyed by said belt; means for tipping the bottles on said belt at one or more places along the course of the belt for discharging the washing fluid from the bottles; and means for supporting and operating the belt.

4. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; a bottle-forwarding belt; a brushing-surface; a friction-surface adapted to rotate a series of bottles carried by said belt against the brushing-surface; a way for supporting the bottles along their course, said way being elevated in portions of the course with relation to the position of the belt at such portions for tipping the bottles so as to discharge the Washing fluid; and means for supporting and operating the belts.

5. In a bottle-Washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; a bottle-forwarding belt; means for brushing the bottles; a Way for supporting the bottles along their course, said Way being elevated in portions of the course With relation to the position of the belt at such portions for tipping the bottles so as to discharge the Washing fluid, and means for supporting and operating the belts.

6. In a bottle-Washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; a bottle-forwarding belt; a belt having an outer brushing-surface adapted to brush the bottles; means for rotating the bottles against the brushing-surface; and means for supporting and operating the belts; said belts being independent of each other, and of said means for rotating the bottles.

7. In a bottle-Washing machine, the combination of a frame therefor; a bottle-forwarding belt a belt having an outer brushing-surface adapted to brush the bottles; a frictionbelt adapted to rotate the bottles against the brushing-surface and means for supporting and operating the belts; said belts being independent of each other.

8. In a bottle-Washing machine, the combination of a bottle-forwarding belt; a brushing-surface; means for rotating the bottles against the brushing-surface; a tank through which the bottles are carried by said belt; a partition in said tank adapted to separate different Washing fluids in the tank; a Way for supporting the bottles over the partition, said way being elevated at the partition With relation to the position of the belt at such place for tipping the bottles so as to discharge the Washing fluid therefrom in their course over said partition; and means for supporting and operating the belt.

MAX R. IRRGANG. Witnesses:

WM. R. RUMMLER, M. J. DUSTIN. 

